Product Description

This field journal and test manual accompanies Signs & Seasons. Expand your astronomy course into a lab with measurable results! This guide is designed to take you out under the night-time sky with observation, sketching and hands-on activities. Any necessary materials are listed, as well as quotes from the ancients, step-by-step instructions, illustrations, pertinent notes, forms, room for sketches, definitions, maps, and more. Tests include definitions, labeling diagrams, connecting stars into constellations, globe-work, questions based on field activities, and other questions that will require students to think about their answers! 179 pages, softcover. Answers included.

When I purchased the text that goes with this manual I debated if I needed to purchase this journal. I am so very glad that I did! There are some wonderful hands-on materials in this manual and charts and tables to record our studies. I will be using this text to study the heavens with my kids and husband. It is so simply and yet beautifully written that even though I will be giving high school credit to my older children, I will also be including my youngest child in the study as well.

Author/Artist Review

Tell us a little about yourself. I am the author of Signs & Seasons: Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy. Since 2002, I've created the Classical Astronomy Update, an email astronomy newsletter especially for Christian homeschoolers. Prior to that, I had been involved in mainstream astronomy popularization since about 1996.

What was your motivation behind this project? Though Signs & Seasons includes 40 pages of field activities, many of the users asked for this workbook to help them get organized and facilitate the accomplishment of the activities. The workbook takes most of the "heavy lifting" out of creating a field journal, allowing the students and their parents to spend more time learning the sky. Also, the parents requested chapter tests so they could assign a letter grade to their high schooler, hence the test manual portion of the workbook.

What do you hope folks will gain from this project? It remains our hope and vision that a young generation will regain an understanding and appreciation for the LORD's sky, and rediscover the traditional techniques for finding the time and direction from the Sun, Moon and stars.

How were you personally impacted by working on this project? The LORD blessed me with a window of opportunity to create this workbook in the winter of '08. The work went very well, and our previous experience publishing Signs & Seasons made the process very smooth.

Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? Other than the classic authors read while researching Signs & Seasons, I enjoy Francis Schaeffer and C.S. Lewis. My favorite Christian author of fiction is Stephen Lawhead. Other contemporary favorites include P.J. O'Rourke. I enjoy the columnists in WORLD magazine, especially Marvin Olasky and Gene Edward Veith.

Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: Make the effort to learn the sky and rediscover the secrets of Classical Astronomy. Christians can reclaim the secrets of this forgotten science to the greater glory of God. You will appreciate the handiwork of His celestial creation. It will enhance your knowledge in many areas, from understanding scientific methodology to appreciating history and classic literature. Best of all, observing God's glory in the sky is FREE!